The British greenkeeper building a world-class course: Jamie Faulkner’s journey from suburban London to the searing heat of Bahrain has been defined by travel and an enduring love of greenkeeping.
He first got on a mower at 16, working at Bletchingley Golf Club in Surrey. “I just liked using the machines,” he says. “It felt like a fun job at first, but once I started playing golf, I was hooked. I’ve never thought about doing anything else.”
The British greenkeeper building a world-class course
That early enthusiasm has taken him across the world. From his roots in Croydon, Jamie has built a career that’s seen him work on courses in Australia, the United States, India and Saudi Arabia before settling in Bahrain as Director of Agronomy at The Royal Golf Club — the only grass course on the island.
The Royal hosted a DP World Tour event this month, so it’s a venue where expectations are high and presentation is everything. The course is also the country’s golfing flagship, setting the standard for two new developments now being planned elsewhere on the island.
“The players love coming here because it’s such a contrast to the rest of the region,” says Jamie. “Presentation and playing consistency are everything. Our goal for the DP World Tour was for the course to be the best it’s ever been.”
Huge investment
The club recently completed a £1.5 million machinery investment, replacing an ageing competitor fleet with a full suite of John Deere equipment supplied by Orient Irrigation Services.
“The guys love the machines, especially the mowers,” says Jamie. “The kit we had before was 15 years old and completely run into the ground, so these are a huge step up. Everyone’s very happy with them.”
The new fleet includes compact tractors, mowers, and two HD200 sprayers on ProGators. While the purchase was driven by the golf course, the machinery will also support the wider operation, which includes maintaining the nearby horse racing track and landscaping around 1,000 villas that neighbour the club.
“I’ve got 85 staff in the landscape business and 45 on the course,” Jamie explains. “It’s quite normal managing big teams here in the Middle East because the conditions are so demanding. The desert environment means there’s a lot of manual labour, from weeding and raking sand dunes to constant irrigation work.”
Away from home, but the weather still dominates
The heat presents relentless challenges. Temperatures can climb to 50 degrees with 90% humidity, making disease and pest prevention a year-round priority. “It’s a brutal climate,” he says. “We have to stay on top of everything, especially pythium root rot, which can take hold fast in the summer.”
Jamie’s journey to this point has been anything but ordinary. After several years working in and around London, first at Chipstead and then at The Addington, he decided to take his greenkeeping skills overseas.
His first stop was Kalgoorlie Golf Club near Perth, Australia, followed by a posting to Fiddlesticks Country Club in south-west Florida through the Ohio State University internship programme.
He spent three years in Bahrain before taking a superintendent’s role at a course in Bangalore, India, before moving to Riyadh to work for Golf Saudi. When travel restrictions hit during the pandemic, he commuted 600 kilometres between Saudi Arabia and Bahrain every two weeks to see his family.
“I’ve been away from the UK for 12 years now,” he says. “I was desperate to see the world, and I wanted to learn something new with every move. You pick up so much experience working in different climates and with different grasses. I think it makes you a better greenkeeper.”
The Royal’s 450 members are mainly ex-pat golfers, but with two new courses planned in Bahrain, there’s optimism that more international visitors will follow. For now, Jamie’s focus is on perfecting the playing surfaces and ensuring the club continues to set the standard for golf in the region.
Dealer support a major factor
Dealer support plays a big part in that. Jamie works with Orient’s Harry Pattinson, a former outlet manager at John Deere dealer Thomas Sherriff in the UK. Despite being based an hour’s flight away, Harry provides ongoing technical and parts backup.
“We’ve agreed to do an annual expert check of the fleet,” says Harry. “We’ll spend a week going through every machine, checking for any small warranty issues and making sure Jamie’s team gets the most from the investment.”
For Jamie, keeping things simple is key. “We’ve got a huge workforce with people jumping on and off machines all day,” he says. “They need to be easy to use and reliable, which John Deere delivers. Out here, that’s what really matters.”
From his early days cutting greens in Surrey to preparing a DP World Tour venue in Bahrain, Jamie’s story is proof that passion and persistence can take you a long way. Even to the edge of the desert.
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